Automated alert generation in response to a predetermined communication on a telecommunication device

ABSTRACT

A cell phone software application that automatically informs a person&#39;s ICE contacts when their cell phone has made an emergency 911 call. Also included are systems for sending the GPS location of the cell phone to both the emergency service responders and to the ICE contacts. Personal medical information can also be transmitted automatically to the emergency service when the emergency call has been made. A system for disabling the alerting of the person&#39;s ICE contacts is also included such that the cell phone user is free to make emergency calls on behalf of other people.

RELATED APPLICATION

The present invention claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent61/456,937, entitled “Automatic Alert Generation In Response To APredesignated Communication Based On A Telecommunication Device”, filedNov. 15, 2010, the full disclosure of which is incorporated herein forall purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates in particular to systems for cell phonesto contact emergency services and to other predetermined personnel. Inaddition, the present invention relates more generally to emergencynotification systems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many people use landlines to call emergency numbers such as 911.However, cell phones are also used to call these emergency numbers.Unfortunately, calling 911 over a cell phone has its disadvantages.Specifically, when a person uses their cell phone to make a 911 call,the first thing the emergency operator does is to ask for the locationof the person making the call. (This is because the calling party'sphone location is quickly identifiable when using a land line).Therefore, a need exists for the emergency services to quickly andautomatically pinpoint the location of the cell phone. Although systemsdo exist in the United States to automatically detect cell phonelocation, such systems are not distributed worldwide. Thus, the need toautomatically transmit cell phone location to an emergency responder islacking in many second and third world countries.

Often times, the person making the 911 call is only able to give a veryquick summary to the operator when the situation is urgent. The operatorthen quickly requests as much information (e.g.: medical information) ascan be communicated in a short time period. To have this informationautomatically sent to the operator would be desirable at a minimum, andin some cases it could be life saving.

Lastly, once the person has made the 911 call, there is no mechanism toinform family members as to their location and condition. It wouldinstead be desirable to provide a system that automatically alerts aperson's contacts (e.g.: family members) when a person has made anemergency call. It would instead be desirable to provide a system thatautomatically alerts a person's pre-selected contacts such as familymembers (and those physicians or medical providers who provide care andhave the medical history of the caller). The present inventionaccomplishes these functions and provides other advantages over existingsystems as will be explained herein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a system for automatically alerting aperson's emergency “ICE” contacts(s) when the person has made anemergency call, comprising: a mobile communication device; an emergencycontact software module installed on the mobile communication device fora person to pre-identify at least one emergency contact and inputemergency contact information; an emergency call sensing software moduleinstalled on the mobile communication device for sensing when the mobilecommunications device has called an emergency number; and an emergencyalert software module installed on the mobile communication device foralerting the at least one emergency contact that the mobilecommunications device has called the emergency number.

The present system operates by automatically sending a text message fromthe cell phone to the a plurality of different emergency “ICE” contacts.The advantage of this system is that when a 911 call has been made onthe device, it will immediately notify any preselected family members,friends, or medical personnel simultaneously.

Additionally, the GPS system in the mobile communication device(“device”) will automatically send the phone's physical location at thetime of the call to all preselected “In Case of Emergency” (hereafter“ICE”) contacts, which includes the local dispatch contact for thepolice or sheriffs department, the fire department, as well as familymembers and medical providers. This system is particularly advantageousin countries where this technology is not yet available to the emergencyservice dispatch operator. It also allows family members to be able totravel to the scene of the emergency quickly. Optionally, the systemwill provide continuous GPS updates of the location of the callingperson, in the event that they are being transported away from the sceneto a hospital.

The present invention also includes an alert cancellation system inwhich the user is given a pre-determined period of time in which tocancel the alert message notification sent to their ICE contacts. Thissystem is especially beneficial when the person is using the cell phoneto make a 911 call on behalf of others. As a result, the calling partywho is not involved but who observes an emergency situation can make the911 call on behalf of others without causing panic for the callingparty's own ICE contacts.

Optionally, the present system also displays information including theICE contacts and any necessary medical information on the cell phonescreen after the 911 call has been completed. This is particularlyadvantageous for both emergency services and passers-by arriving at thescene of the emergency. Specifically, as soon as the cell phone isdiscovered (near the person who made the 911 call), relevant medicalconditions and ICE contact identities can be seen.

The present invention also includes a method of automatically alerting aperson's emergency contact when the person makes an emergency call,comprising: inputting emergency contact information into an emergencycontact software module installed on a mobile communication device;calling an emergency number from the mobile communication device,thereby activating an emergency call sensing software module installedon the mobile communication device; having the emergency call sensingsoftware module activate an emergency alert software module installed onthe mobile communication device, wherein the emergency alert softwaremodule retrieves the emergency contact information and then sends amessage to the emergency contact that the mobile communications devicehas called the emergency number. Thus, the device owner adds all theirICE contacts into the emergency contact software module installed on thecalling party's device before an emergency situation arises. When anemergency call is made, this activates the emergency call sensingsoftware module installed on the device. The emergency call sensingmodule activates a separate emergency alert software module installed onthe device which identifies all of the preselected ICE contacts andsends them a message indicating that the device owner has called theemergency number.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of the components of the presentinvention in operation.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of the desktop screen of a cell phoneincorporating the present invention when not in use.

FIG. 3 is an illustration cell phone display when used as a telephone.

FIG. 4 is an illustration of the cell phone display when initiallyactivating the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an illustration of emergency contacts entered into the cellphone.

FIG. 6 is an illustration of medical information entered into the cellphone.

FIG. 7 is another illustration of medical and personal informationentered into the cell phone.

FIG. 8 is an illustration of insurance information entered into the cellphone.

FIG. 9 is an illustration of an alert prevention screen displayed afterthe emergency call has been completed.

FIG. 10 is an illustration of the cell phone display after an emergencycall has been completed and after the present system has alerted thecell phone user's emergency contacts.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart of the preferred method of operation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates the components of the present invention, being asystem for automatically alerting a person's emergency contact when theperson has made an emergency call, as follows.

A mobile communication device 10 is provided. Device 10 is typically acell phone or smart phone, but can be any device capable of making atelephone call, or VOIP (voice over internet protocol), or any othercommunication made to an emergency service (including, but not limitedto, local police, fire, etc.). Simply put, device 10 may be any devicecapable of calling or contacting 911 or any other emergency number.Broadly speaking, the present invention can be used on any communicationdevice that is aware of its own location. This may include, withoutlimitation, tablets, laptops, desktop computers, etc. As such, thepresent invention has applications well beyond conventional cell phonesand smart phones.

Communication device 10 has a variety of different software modulespre-installed thereon. (It is to be understood that communication device10 may be a cell phone, a smart phone, or any other communication devicethat is aware of its own location. Therefore, any reference herein to a“cell phone” is thus understood to include all of these othercommunication technologies). Specifically, these include at least: (a)an emergency contact software module 20 for the user to pre-identify atleast one of their emergency contacts and input emergency contactinformation; (b) an emergency (or non-emergency) call number sensingsoftware module 30 for sensing when the mobile communications device hascalled an emergency number; and (c) an emergency alert software module40 for simultaneously alerting the at least one emergency contact thatthe mobile communications device has called the emergency number on thedevice. These three software modules work together as follows.

FIG. 2 shows the display of the phone prior to use. FIG. 3 shows thedisplay of the phone prior to making a phone call.

FIG. 4 shows an exemplary display screen when a user first activates thepresent invention, and prepares to configure it for use. At this time,the user is prompted to enter data corresponding to their “UserProfile”, “Contacts”; “Medical Data”, and “Insurance”. It is to beunderstood that the “Medical Data”, and “Insurance” fields are optionaland the present invention encompasses embodiments where the user doesnot enter medical or insurance information.

Next, as seen in FIG. 5, (after selecting “Contacts” in FIG. 4), theuser is prompted to pre-enter the contact numbers for each of the peoplethat want the phone to automatically notify should the user make a 911or other emergency number call. These “ICE” (“in case of emergency”)contacts 80A, 80B, 80C, etc., would most typically be family members,such as an elderly parent wishing to notify their children, or a childwishing to notify their parents. In this particular example, 80A is“Jane Doe”, 80B is “John Doe”, and 80C is “Alice Springs”. It is to beunderstood, however, that other contact numbers and identities may beprogrammed in as well. For example, a person may want their doctor 102(FIG. 1) to be notified should they call 911. In that case, the doctor'scontact information would be entered as well. Moreover, the cell phoneuser may choose to enter only one emergency contact (such as theirspouse), or a number of different contacts (family members, friends,doctor, etc).

As seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, after the user has selected “Medical Data” inFIG. 4, the user is prompted to optionally enter personal informationsuch as medical information (current medications, allergies, medicalconditions, contacts, insurance, medications, physicians, etc.). In thisexample, the user has entered “Tylenol” as their current medication,“Wheat milk” as their allergy and “Bob” as their family doctor. In FIG.7, the user may optionally enter their blood type and whether ort notthey are an organ donor. All of this information is then stored in thesoftware installed on the phone.

As seen in FIG. 8, after the user has selected “Insurance” in FIG. 4,the user is prompted to optionally also enter insurance informationincluding both health insurance and car insurance information.

Next, an emergency happens and the person uses their phone 10 to make anemergency call. Such a call may simply be dialing 911, but other numbersand options are also possible within the scope of the present invention.(This is because calling 911 simply links a person to a 911 operator whothen talks to the person and then assigns the response to the call to alocal emergency service such as a local police force or firedepartment). Therefore, it is to be understood that the presentinvention is not limited to calling 911 as the sole emergency number.For example, directly dialing the phone number of a local police stationwould also be an emergency call. In optional embodiments of theinvention, the emergency number may itself be pre-programmed into thephone. For example, the person's own doctor's number may be theemergency number. In such a case, the person using the present systemmay want to alert their family whenever they call their doctor 102.Similarly, the emergency number may be the phone number of the person'scaregiver or hospice service.

When the person calls the emergency number (e.g.: 911), emergency callnumber sensing software module 30 then determines that an emergency callhas been made. Preferably, this process starts when the caller hascompleted their call to the emergency service and has hung up. However,the present invention also encompasses embodiments in which the processstarts while the phone call to the emergency service is still inprogress. Once emergency call number sensing software module 30 hasdetected that an emergency call has been made, then emergency alertsoftware module 40 is activated. Furthermore, it is to be understoodthat the present invention also encompasses embodiments in which a callis first made to a non-emergency service. Thus, call number sensingsoftware module 30 can be used to sense both calls to emergency services(e.g.: 911), and non-emergency calls to pre-programmed in phone numbers.Then, emergency alert software module 40 prepares to send a message toeach of the pre-programmed in emergency contacts 80A, 80B, 80C, (andoptionally 102) that the user had stored in emergency contact softwaremodule 20 (back in FIG. 5).

Next, as seen in FIG. 9, once the person has completed their emergencycall an optional alert cancellation software module 50 is activated andan alert prevention screen is displayed. At this time, alertcancellation software module 50 prevents the emergency alert softwaremodule 20 from sending any alert messages to the ICE contact(s) 80A,80B, 80C, etc. for a pre-set period of time after the 911 call has beenmade. Specifically, the screen informs the user that the ICE contactswill be sent a message in “X seconds”. Optionally, X may be around 15seconds, but any suitable short time period may be used. In optionalembodiments, this time period may itself also be pre-programmed into thephone (for example to give a longer period of time to an elderly personwho has difficulty handling their cell phone). A countdown clock beginsto run. If the user does nothing, the clock runs out and the emergencyalert software module 20 then automatically sends alert messages to theemergency ICE contacts 80A, 80B, 80C, etc. This fail-safe strategy isespecially important in situations when the person making the emergencycall becomes incapacitated. Unless the user turns the notify featureoff, the default is that messages will be sent to the ICE contacts.Conversely, this fail-safe strategy is especially beneficial insituations where the person is making the emergency call on behalf ofothers. (For example when arriving on the scene of an accident orwitnessing a medical emergency). In such situations, the user firstcompletes their emergency call but then has sufficient time to preventtheir phone from telling their contacts 80A, 80B, 80C that they havemade an emergency call.

Assuming the alert cancellation software module 50 has not beenactivated (to prevent ICE contact notification), then emergency alertsoftware module 40 will send an alert message to each of pre-programmedin emergency contacts 80A, 80B, 80C, etc. In preferred aspects, thisalert message may simply comprise sending a text message from cell phone10 to each emergency contact 80A, 80B, 80C, etc. Alternatively, or inaddition, the present invention may also include sending an email oreven a prerecorded message to ICE contacts 80A, 80B, 80C, etc.

The device user may have preprogrammed as little as once ICE contact 80,or multiple ICE contacts 80A, 80B, 80C, etc. The system will eithersimultaneously or sequentially send messages to each of the differentICE contacts. Moreover, the present system may optionally even beconfigured with different ICE contacts for different situations. Forexample, if calling emergency service 100 by dialing 911, then a numberof the person's family members can be alerted. However, if only callingtheir doctor 102, then only one ICE contact (such as their caregiver80A) needs to be notified.

Preferably as well, cell phone 10 has an internal GPS 15. As a result,the current location of cell phone 10 can also be sent by emergencyalert software module 40 to either or both of the emergency service 100and ICE contacts 80A, 80B, 80C, etc. This approach provides exceptionalbenefits. For example, as soon as the user dials 911 or other emergencynumber, the GPS will automatically be turned on (if it isn't onalready). Then, the position of the cell phone will be determined. Thislocation can then be automatically sent directly to the emergencyservice 100 (for example as a text message). As such, time is not wastedby the emergency operator trying to determine the location of the personmaking the 911 call. In addition, the location of cell phone 10 willalso be sent to the ICE contacts after the emergency call has beencompleted. This enables family members to know the exact location of aloved one making an emergency call. In addition, the present system maybe configured to provide continuous updates of the location, enablingfamily members to determine where the person has been transported byemergency personnel.

Additionally as well, the medical information pre-programmed intoemergency alert software module 20 (FIGS. 6 and 7), can be automaticallysent directly by emergency alert software module 40 to emergency service100 (for example as a text message). As such, time is not wasted by theemergency operator trying to determine the medical background or historyof the person making the 911 call. Should the 911 operator dispatch anambulance or paramedic, the medical information can also be forwarded tothem.

Finally, as seen in FIG. 10, once the 911 call has been completed, andthe ICE contacts 80A, 80B and 80C have been notified (both that anemergency call has been made and the location of the caller), then anoptional emergency display software module 60 installed on mobilecommunication device 10 will display the user's ICE emergency contactinformation right on the cell phone screen. (e.g.: spouse “Jane Doe”).In addition, medical information pre-programmed into the cell phone canalso be displayed. Moreover, a sound can also be automatically emittedfrom the phone at this time. The benefit of the screen shown in FIG. 10(and any sound emitted) will be that paramedics, police, ambulanceattendants, and even passers-by will quickly determine the identities ofthe ICE contacts and the medical history/conditions, insurance coverage,etc. of the person who made the emergency 911 call. This is particularlyuseful when the person is incapacitated or otherwise unable to respondafter making the call.

Lastly, FIG. 11 illustrates a flow chart of the preferred method of thepresent invention. In one preferred aspect, the present method ofautomatically alerting a person's emergency contact when the personmakes an emergency call, comprises: inputting emergency contactinformation into an emergency contact software module installed on amobile communication device; calling an emergency number from the mobilecommunication device, thereby activating an emergency call sensingsoftware module installed on the mobile communication device; and havingthe emergency call sensing software module activate an emergency alertsoftware module installed on the mobile communication device, whereinthe emergency alert software module retrieves the emergency contactinformation and then sends a message to the emergency contact that themobile communications device has called the emergency number.

Specifically, at step 200, cell phone 10 calls an emergency number suchas 911. (It is to be understood that GPS 15 may be activated before,during or after the call, all keeping within the scope of the presentinvention). Next, at step 204 (as was illustrated in FIG. 9), the phoneprompts the user as to whether or not they want to can cell the alertfunction. At 210, the decision is made. If, at step 212, the userdecides to deactivate the system the system proceeds to step 214.Alternatively, if the user does not decide to deactivate the system(step 220), then the countdown continues. At step 223, the GPS data isgathered. Finally, step 224 is reached where the emergency contactinformation is gathered. Next, at step 226, alert messages are sent tocontacts 80A, 80B, 80C, etc. by emergency alert software module 40.Optionally, the cell phone then displays the emergency contactinformation and/or medical information (as was seen in FIG. 10).Optionally as well, at step 230, updates of the cell phone's locationcan be sent every 15 minutes (or any other suitable interval of time) toeither or both of the emergency service 100 and the emergency contacts80A, 80B, 80C, etc.

In preferred aspects, the user simply calls 911. It is to be understoodthat the present invention encompasses contacting any local emergencyresponder directly. In fact, the selection of which emergencynumber/service is called may optionally depend upon the GPS coordinatesof the phone. As such, the cell phone could call the nearest localpolice or fire station depending upon its location. (This is anotherbenefit of the present system of automatically transmitting the phonelocation to an emergency responder when an emergency call is made.

In optional aspects, a call to a first emergency number (e.g.: 911) mayactivate a second emergency service pre-set as an ICE contact. Forexample, a park ranger's cell phone could be pre-programmed with theranger's station as one of the ICE contacts. Thus, should a ranger makea 911 call, cell phone 10 could automatically notify both the 911responder and the ranger station as to the ranger's whereabouts.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for automatically alerting a person'scontact when the person has made a call to a pre-determined number,comprising: a mobile communication device; a contact software moduleinstalled on the mobile communication device for a person topre-identify at least one contact and input contact information; a callnumber sensing software module installed on the mobile communicationdevice for sensing when the mobile communications device has called apre-determined number; an alert software module installed on the mobilecommunication device for alerting at least one contact that the mobilecommunications device has called the pre-determined number, and an alertcancellation software module installed on the mobile communicationdevice for preventing the alert software module from alerting one ormore contacts when: (i) the alert cancellation software module has beenactivated within a pre-determined period of time after the call to thepre-determined number has been made, (ii) a connection to thepre-determined number has been established, and (iii) the call to thepre-determined number has been completed and the call to thepre-determined number has ended, and wherein the person's contact isalerted using the same communication network through which thepre-determined number was called, and the person's contact isautomatically called after the call to the pre-determined number hasconcluded, unless the alert cancellation software module has cancelledthe alert to the person's contact.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein theperson's contact is an emergency contact, and wherein the pre-determinednumber is an emergency number.
 3. The system of claim 1, whereinalerting one or more contacts comprises sending a text, SMS or otherdigital message from the mobile communication device to the at least onecontact.
 4. The system of claim 3, wherein alerting one or more contactscomprises alerting a plurality of different contacts.
 5. The method ofclaim 4, wherein the plurality of different contacts are simultaneouslyalerted.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile communicationsdevice includes a GPS, and wherein the alert software module sends thelocation of the mobile communications device to one or more contactswhen the mobile communications device has called the pre-determinednumber.
 7. The system of claim 2, wherein the mobile communicationsdevice includes a GPS, and wherein the alert software module sends thelocation of the mobile communications device to an emergency serviceassociated with the emergency number when the mobile communicationsdevice has called the emergency number.
 8. The system of claim 1,wherein the contact software module is configured for the person toinput personal emergency information.
 9. The system of claim 8, whereinthe personal emergency information comprises medical information. 10.The system of claim 8, wherein the alert software module sends thepersonal emergency information to an emergency service associated withthe emergency number when the mobile communication device has called theemergency number.
 11. The system of claim 1, further comprising: anemergency display software module installed on the mobile communicationdevice for displaying the contact information on a screen of the mobilecommunication device after the mobile communication device has alertedthe at least one contact.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein theemergency display software module also displays personal emergencyinformation that has been pre-inputted into the emergency contactsoftware module.
 13. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobilecommunication device is a cell phone.
 14. The system of claim 1, whereinthe emergency contact information inputted into the emergency contactsoftware module comprises the identities of ICE contacts.
 15. A methodof automatically alerting a person's contact or contacts when the personmakes a call to a pre-determined number, comprising: inputting contactinformation into a contact software module installed on a mobilecommunication device; calling a pre-determined number from the mobilecommunication device, thereby activating an call number sensing softwaremodule installed on the mobile communication device; having the callnumber sensing software module activate an emergency alert softwaremodule installed on the mobile communication device, wherein theemergency alert software module retrieves the emergency contactinformation and then sends a message to the emergency contact that themobile communications device has called the pre-determined number, aconnection to the pre-determined number has been established, the callto the pre-determined number has been completed and the call to thepre-determined number has ended; and activating an alert cancellationsoftware module installed on the mobile communication device, therebypreventing the emergency alert software module from alerting theemergency contact, and wherein the person's contact or contacts arealerted using the same communication network through which thepre-determined number was called, and the person's contact or contactsare automatically alerted after the call to the pre-determined numberhas concluded, unless the alert cancellation software module hascancelled the alert to the person's contact or contacts.
 16. The methodof claim 15, wherein the person's contact is an emergency contact, andwherein the pre-determined number is an emergency number.
 17. The methodof claim 16, further comprising: having the emergency alert softwaremodule send a message to a plurality of different pre-stored emergencycontacts.
 18. The method of claim 16, further comprising: determiningthe location of the mobile communication device with a GPS; and sendingthe location of the mobile communication device to at least one of: (a)the emergency contact, and (b) an emergency service associated with theemergency number.
 19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:inputting personal emergency information into the emergency contactsoftware module; and sending the personal emergency information todevice to at least one of: (a) the emergency contact, and (b) anemergency service associated with the emergency number.
 20. The methodof claim 19, wherein the alert cancellation software module must beactivated within a pre-determined period of time after the emergencycall has been made to prevent the emergency alert software module fromalerting the emergency contact.
 21. The method of claim 16, furthercomprising: displaying the emergency contact information on a screen ofthe mobile communication device after the mobile communication devicehas alerted the at least one emergency contact.
 22. The system of claim1, wherein the mobile communication device is any device that is awareof its own location.
 23. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobilecommunication device is a tablet, laptop or desktop computer.
 24. Themethod of claim 15, wherein the mobile communication device is anydevice that is aware of its own location.
 25. The method of claim 15,wherein the mobile communication device is a tablet, laptop or desktopcomputer.